Symposium Theme:
Conceptions of Heaven and Objects

The Second International Symposium on Buddhism and Neoplatonism, "Conceptions of Heaven and Objects," will critically examine the intersection of metaphysics and material culture in Buddhist and Neoplatonic thought. This symposium invites a comparative inquiry into how each tradition conceptualises transcendent realities—such as celestial realms, divine principles, or paradisical states—and relates these concepts to the phenomenal world. The focus will be on the philosophical tension and correspondence between abstract ideals of the divine and their concrete manifestations, exploring how materiality (e.g., in icons, talismans, and ritual artefacts) is rationalised, employed, or transcended within their respective soteriological and cosmological frameworks.